In the Financial Times an article telling the world that if there’s a people even more frustrated with the EUnions management of the euro-crisis then the Germans, it is the Dutch.

[The Dutch] are founder members of the EU, a medium-sized country, a creditor nation – and they are very cross and increasingly Eurosceptic. It is quite possible that Germany would sign off on some new bail-out, only to find that it was rejected in the Netherlands and Finland.

Second, the Rutte piece is interesting because it spells out what airy phrases like “political union” might actually mean. For countries like Greece – and maybe someday Portugal or Italy – it would demand a huge loss of sovereignty. I don’t think they will accept that – and maybe Mr Rutte doesn’t either – which could be why he holds out the prospect of expulsion from the euro-zone as the ultimate sanction.

The turn of phrase used in this article put a smile on my face. How sublimely British and perfectly understated: ‘very cross’. Yes, I do tend to get a bit stroppy when I read stuff like this. Or this.